Phillipines: U.S. Marine charged in murder of transexual

theguardian.com reported Philippines charges US marine with murder in transgender killing
Pentagon press secretary said US military had was cooperating closely with local law enforcement on the case
Police in the Philippines filed murder charges on Wednesday against a US Marine over the death of a transgender Filipino he met in a bar outside the former US naval base of Subic Bay. The Philippine government also wants to take custody of Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton while he stands trial, said a senior Philippine official, who warned that the case could damage military ties between the allies. “Based on two witnesses’ testimonies, we believe we have a strong case against the US Marine,” said Pedrito delos Reyes, police chief of Olongapo City, where the body of Jeffrey Laude, 26, was found in a hotel room on Saturday. Read Article